My Dearest Mirror
by Glowing Glasses
Summary: ShinKai, again. There's an old mirror in the Kuroba attic, and it has the power to grant Kaito's secret wish...his heart's desire. But hold on; who is Kaitou Shadow?
1. First Part

**THIS IS A CHALLENGE FIC!**

– **Devil's Contract Challenge –**

**From**: Phantom Hitman 1412.

**Challenge**: Write our favorite detective as a phantom thief.

**Requirements**:

Interesting title and summary. **Ten Points** apiece. **Twenty Points** if you manage to hit them both.

Correct spelling and grammar – Translation: _make your story readable_. **Ten Points**.

Must be awesome and enjoyable. **Fifty Points**.

If you hit all of the requirements, you get **Twenty Points**.

That will equal out to **One-Hundred Points**.

**Bonus Points**: If you include a mirror, you will get **Ten Points** extra.

**Highest Possible Points Overall**: 100/110.

**Points Received**: ?

**Deadline**: May 14 – hey! My birthday is May 11! Go Team Taurus! _**Hooray!**_

* * *

**Summary**: There's an old mirror in the Kuroba attic, and it has the power to grant Kaito's secret wish...his heart's desire. But hold on; who is Kaitou Shadow?

* * *

**My Dearest Mirror**

* * *

"_The best mirror is an old friend."_

– _Spanish Proverb –_

* * *

**Part 1**

* * *

There was an old, old mirror in the Kuroba attic.

It was hidden behind various suit cases and boxes, and there was an old sheet over it, but it was there. Time passed it by, and, just like the house, it watched its family grow and develop, by leaps and bounds – like the stage performers that they were. It watched the men of the family grow from toddlers and into proud men, and it watched the women of the family grow from babies and into self-assured women; each and every one of them possessing the talent for magic and tricks, a mischievous side, and a deep love for heights, a longing to fly and soar above the masses – free spirits.

The mirror loved its family fiercely, and mourned for each death and celebrated every birth. It was an old mirror, so very, very old – forgotten, but still loyal to the family it had been made to serve and guide.

It was patient. It was kind. It was powerful.

It was dying.

The magic inside it was waning. It had to happen eventually – nothing truly lasted forever – and the mirror was not alarmed.

It was very, very old.

However, it still had a duty to maintain. Advice to give, vision quests to provide, and, if the need was great enough, a wish to grant – it had _just_ enough power to do that. Enough power to preform a single miracle – _to rearrange the threads in the fabric of reality, to move the very mountains and to reach out and grab the stars, for just a moment, for just a brief instance_ – and only for the Kuroba family, an endearing family of bright smiles and warm laughter.

It was dying, but it's only thoughts were for the remains of the Kuroba Family, the last heir to a lucky bloodline – to a single boy, who did his ancestors proud.

_Kuroba Kaito..._

* * *

Cuddled into his pillows and breathing softly, Kaito was dead asleep. He wasn't really aware of anything, lost in the vague, fluffy dreams that were conjured up by his mind.

_Kuroba Kaito..._

A soft, mono-gendered voice caressed his mind, lovingly, like a mother's smile, or like a father's touch.

_Kuroba Kaito...awaken._

Kaito's breath hitched, his brows furring is his sleep.

_Kuroba Kaito...little bird, I have need of you._

He mumbled something incoherent, and tried to burrow his face into his pillow.

_Kuroba Kaito...open those eyes, child. Awaken._

Kaito let out a little whine, and indigo eyes sleepily fluttered open.

A warm, fond pulse of _something_ gently ran through him, like a tender hug and a smile all wrapped into one sensation; a soft, joyous feeling of pure love and happiness. _Kuroba Kaito..._

Kaito blinked lethargically for a long, muddled moment, before yawning. He rubbed at his eyes, wondering what woke him up –

_...hello, sweet child._

His eyes flew open, alarmed.

"What the hell?" Kaito yelped, jumping out of his bed. He stumbled over his books – stupid homework! – and then he spun around, his paranoid eyes sweeping the room. "Who are you?" He demanded, and then he paused, glancing around himself in wary bemusement. "..._where_ are you?"

A soft laugh, like a gently flowing river.

_Peace, child. I am your friend – a very old friend, in fact. All I want..._

Kaito gasped, wide-eyed, as he felt _something_ brush against his mind, something gentle and warm, and it brought feelings of safety and love with it. Unconsciously, Kaito sighed, his tensed form relaxing, and his heart slowed down, calming.

Strangely, he felt the impression of a smile inside his mind, kind and fond.

_...is to help you._

There was a gentle nudge in his mind, like a mother cat nudging her wayward kitten, and Kaito blinked when he got the sudden image of his attic, which was mostly used to store his mother's various nicknacks and junk.

Huh?

_Sweet child, dear boy... _the voice seemed very fond of throwing around endearments, Kaito observed idly._ Come to me, and we shall talk further..._

Silence.

Kaito opened his mouth. He closed it, and then he shook his head.

_Why is it always me?_ Kaito thought, exasperated. _Why can't the weird things happen to someone __**else**__, for once? No one else gets witches, or robots, or annoying detectives, or jewels of immortally, or murderous organizations – it's only __**me**__._

Now, he had mysterious voices – _in his head_ – to add to the list.

Lovely.

Kaito let out a frustrated sigh, looking pained. He warily looked up at the ceiling, to where the attic was located, half expecting something strange to drop from the ceiling.

Thankfully, nothing did.

He narrowed his eyes in thought, debating with himself. Should he go investigate the origin of the voice? Should he go wake up his mom and tell her what was going on? Should he just go back to sleep?

Well, he seriously doubted that he would be able to go to sleep – he was wide awake and feeling too paranoid to sleep now – and his mother just got home a few hours ago, and was jet-lagged from her trip. She needed her rest, and he was reluctant to wake her up.

So...

"Off into the abyss!" Kaito nodded to himself, and then he slipped on his house slippers – his comfy, yellow and fuzzy slippers – and then he wandered out of his room.

* * *

There was an old, old mirror in the Kuroba attic.

If it could, it would smile contently.

The heir was coming.

* * *

As quietly as possible, Kaito pulled down the stairs for the attic, and was pleased that he managed to do it silently.

Kuroba Chikage was a light sleeper, and he didn't want to wake her up with a loud clatter or a bang – not only would that startle her (and maybe scare her) into wakefulness, but then she would ask him _questions_, like, what was he doing with the attic, and why did he need to go up there?

If he said that a voice told him to go up there, she would get _concerned_.

Making your mom worry wasn't a nice thing to do, so he decided that it would be a good idea to be quiet and stealthy – just like she taught him to be.

With cat-like feet, Kaito stepped up the stairs, and entered his attic. _Hm...I haven't been up here in nearly two years_, he thought, musingly. He moved over to where the light switch was, and flicked it. Weakly, the dim lights of the attic flickered on, and Kaito made a mental note to check them – there could be a problem with the electrical, and _not_ just because the lights needed their blubs changed. He _certainly_ didn't like how the light blub above his head made an alarming snapping noise.

Kaito stared at it warily, but, when it didn't do anything – not even turn off – he decided to leave it alone for the moment.

"Now, if I was a mysterious voice, where would I be hiding...?" Kaito mumbled, indigo eyes glancing around the cluttered area. He twitched when he felt something brush up against his mind – _again_.

_Over here, child..._ the soft, mono-gendered voice called out to him again, and he had the sensation of a mother cat nudging her wayward kitten again.

He wasn't sure how to feel about being the 'wayward kitten', but, nevertheless, he followed the subtle nudges in his mind that felt awfully like intuition, but more concentrated and direct. He briefly wondered why the voice didn't send him another mental image, but inwardly shrugged.

It didn't really matter, he supposed.

Kaito stepped around various boxes and suitcases, pausing to poke at an old record player – _since when did we have this?_ – before moving on, being careful not to knock anything over.

Finally, he reached the back of the attic, and he stared at the sheet covered object in front of him. Whatever it was, was about six feet tall, and it was nestled comfortably between some old looking trunks and boxes – and it _called_ to him, like a soft siren call, but without the inherent danger of a siren. It wasn't seductive or cloyingly it was...like a gentle lullaby that niggled at the back of his memory, like a song that he used to listen to as a small child.

Strangely, he wondered if he _did_ listen to it, and just forgot about it.

Entranced, Kaito step forward and reached out to the object. His hand hovered over the old, dusty sheet, hesitating.

He knew instinctively that whatever this was...it was going to change his life. He was experiencing the same, breathless moment that he had upon discovering his father's legacy.

With that thought, Kaito tugged decisively at the sheet.

_He's never been one to flinch away from change._

With a quiet flutter, the sheet fell away and glided to the floor – honestly, it was almost like poetry in motion, with the fluid way it rippled and moved with gravity.

Kaito's attention was solely focused on the object that had been underneath the old sheet, however.

It was a beautiful mirror, made of dark wood that had little doves and feathers engraved and carved on it. The doves were lovely creatures, and some of them carried ribbons with them as they 'flew', and the feathers were wonderfully detailed looking. The reflective glass was a little scuffed up, a little bit dirty, but it was so _minor_ and such an easy fix, and it didn't really distract the eyes from the fact that it was a very pretty mirror, very...

"Gorgeous," Kaito blurted out the first word that came to his mind. There was a startled pause, and then he had the impression of a blushing smile – _flattered_.

_Ah, you are definitely a Kuroba – such a charming child._ The voice murmured gently, and Kaito blushed faintly when he felt a warm nuzzle in his mind; something that was affectionate and admiring. _A handsome, pretty child, too. You might not have the cobalt eyes of a traditional Kuroba, but your mother's eyes look very well-suited on you, little bird. Very beautiful._

Indigo eyes looked vaguely startled, but he smiled politely.

"Ah, thank you...?"

A gentle, bubbling laugh. _I do not have a name, young one. I am simply a mirror – with, ah, added __**quirks**_, it said, with amused mischief in its voice, faint and subtle behind the politeness, but still there. _Your predecessors have all given me names, however – what do __**you**__ wish to call me, dear one?_

Kaito blinked. "Ah...predecessors?"

_Yes. I have belonged to your family for many, many generations. It...saddens me, that there is only one Kuroba left, two, when you consider your mother – but only in name, and not by blood, as delightful and lovely as she is..._There was a sad, sorrowful sigh that echoed throughout Kaito's head, full of hollow grief and wistfulness. Kaito's eyes watered with sympathy – _empathy_ – and he hastily rubbed at his eyes. This mirror really cared a great deal about his family, he could feel it; feel the love, the dedication, the steadfast loyalty...the pain, the heartbreak, the endless hope and faith that the Kuroba bloodline will thrive in some way, that it will never been forgotten by history.

For a brief instant, he felt the timeless years in the mirror –_ it was so __**old**__. It's no wonder it kept calling him a child_ – and the patient loyalty it possessed. Its love and care, things that never disappeared as the years passed it by, feelings that never faded, even when it collected dust in his attic for an entire lifetime, forgotten, unknown, but never fading...

"Amaranthe," Kaito decided on an impulse, nodding to himself.

_Hm? _Curiosity, faint confusion.

Kaito smiled, stepping closer to the mirror. He touched the surface of the mirror, not minding the griminess of it, and he smiled at his somewhat blurry reflection, sincere and warm.

It was weird, he knew. He should be more suspicious and wary of the mirror – it was able to get into his _**head**_, after all – but he just couldn't bring himself to feel that way. He could _feel_ that it wasn't a danger to him; it was too kind, too gentle, and so very benevolent. It didn't mean him any harm, and it wasn't trying to kill him – it just wanted to help him, to be a part of his life. His kaitou instincts didn't feel any danger from the mirror, either. Just safety and warmth.

"Amaranthe," Kaito repeated, softly, still smiling. "That's your name. It means unfading – you've been up here for a long, long time, haven't you? But you never stopped caring about us. Thank you," Kaito bowed his head in respect and gratitude – and then he gasped when he felt a blooming warmth throughout his body, forming something new and vital. Overwhelmed, he fell to his knees as he felt that _something_ form into brightly colored strings – _yellow, pink, blue, white_ – that formed a strong cord, connecting him to...

To the mirror.

_Oh dear!_ Amaranthe fretted, sounding sheepish. Its voice was suddenly stronger in his head, more clearer – and suddenly feminine, instead of mono-gendered. _I forgot, little bird! By giving me a name, you form a bond with me. I am so, so sorry, dear!_

Kaito blinked, disoriented, but he chuckled at its – _her? __**Her**_ – worried fussing and clucking.

"I'm okay. It didn't hurt or anything," Kaito said, wryly. _Some __**warning**__ would've been appreciated, though..._

Amaranthe cringed meekly in his mind.

_I'm sorry_, she apologized again. _It's been so long, and I was just so happy to meet you, that it completely slipped my mind._

Kaito laughed, standing up once he felt steady again.

"Like I said, I'm okay. There are worst things in the world," _Like Koizumi on a rampage._ "It's alright."

It really was; the bond felt strange, hovering in the back of his head and humming a forgotten melody – but it wasn't harmful. Actually, it felt...natural. Like his brain was built for it, for the bond. Like a puzzle piece sliding into place. Which _was_ possible, he supposed, if a lot of his ancestors formed bonds with the mirror over the generations, and then passed that trait on as a strange genetic quirk to the descendants, like Kaito.

Kaito frowned suddenly at his dirty hand, and then he glanced at the smear that his hand made on the mirror.

"...I'll be right back. I'm getting some water and a wash cloth," Kaito decided, absently wiping his hand on his pajama bottoms. "You need a good cleaning, Amaranthe."

Rather desperately, actually.

The mirror was touched by this and, privately, she smiled sadly to herself, not allowing him to 'see' her emotions. Such a kind child...

_No, that can wait_, she said, serenely. It really was strange to suddenly have a gender assigned to her, for the first time in years, the mirror mused to herself. _I called you here for a reason, Kuroba Kaito._

Kaito blinked, tilting his head to the side, puzzled.

"What?"

_I have a purpose_. The newly named Amaranthe stated, with gentle seriousness. _I was created to serve the Kuroba family, in any shape or form. I am an adviser. I am a friend. I am a parent. I am a fairy godmother. I am anything and everything you need, can fulfill any role that's needed in your life, and help you. I can even grant you a single wish. _

Wisely, she not mention that it would take all of her remaining energy to do so – he was a Kuroba, charming _and_ exasperatingly noble.

They typically didn't like it when people sacrificed themselves, or were hurt in general.

But, in the very wise words of Kuroba Hajime, the first Kuroba that the mirror was honored serve; _"I'm __**old**__, damn it!"_

The mirror was too refined and proper to ever say such words, of course, but the sentiments were the same.

"A wish?" Kaito blinked, and, at the sight of his frank disbelief, she laughed.

_Yes, dear child. A wish. Hm..._ Amaranthe considered him thoughtfully. _Do you have a wish?_ She asked, gently.

Kaito was silent, thinking.

Did he have _**a**_ wish? Ha – more like _wish__**es**_. He had plenty of those. He wished that he had Pandora. He wished that Pandora was _destroyed_. He wished that his father was still alive. He wished that Tantei-kun could be Kudo Shinichi again. He wished that the Black Organization was defeated. _He wished_...

He sighed.

Well, he wished for a lot of things.

"I have a lot of wishes," Kaito laughed cheerfully, and he felt Amaranthe nudge at him, encouragingly.

_Tell me_, she murmured kindly in his mind, like a sweet-tempered grandmother that wanted to know how to make it all better again; how to fix everything.

"I..." Kaito hesitated, before admitting, "I don't know. I seriously have more than just one wish, and they're all important to me."

_Hm. May I offer my assistance? I can look into your heart, and see which one matters to you the most – the one wish that would bring you the most happiness_, Amaranthe said, sending a gentle, reassuring 'hug' to his psyche.

Kaito paused, frowning. He took a metaphorical step back, and carefully thought things over, trying to be objective.

Okay...so; he hears a mysterious voice in the middle of the night. The mysterious voice turns out to be some kind of magical mirror that's been passed down in his family. The mirror is capable of getting into his head and influencing him (somewhat) in an alarming way – and it was only alarming _because_ he didn't feel alarmed or threatened by it, which is very, very _weird_.

By all rights, he should be downright suspicious and hostile.

He wasn't, though. Not even a little bit.

The thing was, _it worked both ways_, _**especially**_ when the bond unexpectedly snapped into place, making things even more clearer for him. He could sense Amaranthe; feel her age, her gentleness and her silent devotion. There wasn't a single shred of ill intent coming from the mirror – she genuinely wanted to help him, to make him happy.

That was all she wanted. Nothing more, nothing less.

Slowly, Kaito nodded, and then he smiled at the mirror, at his blurry image.

"Okay. Sure." _I trust you._

Amaranthe sent him the sensation of a matronly smile, with warm feelings of affection and startled gratefulness.

_Thank you_, she reached out with the bond, grasping the pink string with a gentle touch. _Now, let's see...what your deepest, heartfelt wish is, shall we?_

The mirror tugged softly at the string, sending out a question, before promptly receiving an answer; what his heart desired the most...

_There was so much painful, aching loneliness. False smiles, cracking masks that refuse to break. Laughing walls to protect him from those he should trust; from the ruffled haired sister, from the golden eyed brother, from the mystic ally, from the child with old eyes._

...was unquestioned companionship –

_Someone that understood him perfectly, who complimented him in every way, who shared his goals. Someone who knew what it was like to have a bleeding heart; to lie and smile when all they wanted to do was cry and scream._

No uncertain loyalties, no lies.

_All he wanted was someone to hold him, someone who he could let go of his defenses around, and never have to worry about being betrayed or hurt. Someone that needed him just as much as they needed him; who could let go of **their** defenses around **him**._

Trust. Care. _Love_.

_Oh_, Amaranthe crooned softly, 'hugging' the Kuroba child, who suddenly looked rather teary-eyed, since those suppressed emotions were raising up to the forefront. _Lonely little bird, shh, sweet child. I will make it all better, I promise, little one_. She reassured him, with a firmness underlying her words, like solid, nurturing earth.

This was the last Kuroba. A precious, precious child of Hajime-sama's line.

She will chase away his sadness, and give him a lasting present that will make him happy again. A granted wish that will last him a lifetime. She was willing to move the stars, to tear apart the seams of reality and restitch it, just for him.

For the little bird, that just wanted to be loved unconditionally, by someone that mirrored him, who _understood him_.

She will bring him this person.

Amaranthe withdrew slightly from her comforting 'hug', immediately spreading out her senses, searching the world for the perfect person.

There was only one person that matched him so well, and that was the child with the old eyes – a child that wasn't a child.

The mirror frowned, peering at the strange, _strange_ little human with bemusement.

She looked more closely at him, and then sighed.

He was a detective. He shared a similar mission, a similar goal, but he didn't _understand_. He never lost a parent, he never had to deal with the outrageous and the supernatural, he never had to do difficult tricks, _works of art_, and he never had to be alone – the false child had allies, _friends_, that stood beside him, and even the little bird supported him, from the safety of his moonbeams and challenging smirks.

The strange little human was a close match.

But not an _exact_ match.

_That won't do at all! _Amaranthe sighed to herself, privately. The mirror frowned, and flung out her senses even further, across different dimensions and universes. As she did this, she noticed a pattern; it was always the same human, in different guises – a child, a vampire, a knight, a prince, a wolf, a ghost, a book keeper, a writer, a teacher, and so on and so forth. Different guises, similar appearances, similar goals, but still _not quite right_.

Not quite right, but _**always**_ the same mirroring soul of that strange human.

_Interesting..._

Finally, after several minutes of rapidly bouncing around – like a frustrated child that changed the channel again and again, barely looking at each television channel, but easily dismissing them – she finally, _finally_, found him.

A mirroring thief, who was suffering from the same problems as her little bird.

The mirror smiled.

_Perfect_.

She fully withdrew from Kaito, dulling and suppressing the bond. Amaranthe didn't want him to be disoriented again, when the bond abruptly disappeared with her. Truly, she honestly hadn't meant to form a bond with him at all, because it was utterly pointless to have it, since she was going to be gone soon, but, well, things never go _entirely_ according to plan when there's a Kuroba in the room.

The mirror, if it could, would fondly roll her eyes at this Fact of Life – because it _was_ a tangible fact.

Kurobas had this habit of unconsciously bringing chaos into the world.

The mirror shook off these thoughts, and plainly ignored Kaito's curious calls to her, steadily building up her remaining power, gathering and molding it to her will.

She had a wish to make, to banish the loneliness in the young heir's heart.

Luckily, his match was also just as lonely and desperate for companionship (_for understanding love_), so he would be happy with the young Kuroba.

* * *

"Shadow!" Mouri-keibu yelled, chasing after the illusive, dark clad figure; Kaitou Shadow.

Shadow was a mysterious, eccentric thief. He stole and returned valuable jewels (baffling authorities everywhere), hosted his own heists with logic puzzles and magic tricks, and, while being a rather non-violent thief, he had a strict No Second Chances rule – if someone was endangering people or attempting to use his name for unsavory things, he won't allow let them to have the chance to do it _again_, and he had no qualms about giving out punishments and tossing the criminals into the capable hands of his task force – sometimes with bruises and black eyes.

Or a broken arm, in the unique case of one criminal that had taken Genta, one of his littlest critics, as a hostage and threatened to shoot the boy.

The thief had been very..._**unamused**_.

Shadow laughed suddenly, grinning sharply as he darted up the stairs, and Mouri-keibu...

_**SPLAT!**_

Accidentally activated a trap.

_Again_.

"Argh! SHADOW! YOU DAMNED BASTARD!"

The thief glanced back, snickering.

Thick, sticky, pink goo was very flattering on Mouri, especially since it kept him stuck to the floor.

_I'm just grateful that Ran couldn't make it to the heist this time_, Shadow thought, with a mild cringe.

Ran wasn't a traditional 'critic', but, _damn_, she was scary when she came to his heists.

_But it __**is**__ a shame that Tantei-neko couldn't come out and play tonight, either... _Shadow thought, wistfully. His favorite critic always brought a lot of fun and zest to his heists. Hattori was a fun challenge, but Tantei-neko was _special_. He was just as skilled and talented as Shadow was with magic, and he was utterly unpredictable and random, keeping the thief on his toes and pushing Shadow to think faster and more creatively, in order to match and deflect the detective, forcing Shadow to think outside of his logical box – which was incredibly useful for his heist planning.

He was distracted from this line of thought when he reached the top of the stairs, and he grinned broadly, opening the door to the roof.

Shadow took one step through the doorway –

And then he promptly tumbled into an old, dusty looking attic.

_What the hell?_

Bewildered, Shadow quickly stood up, blue eyes sharply looking around, analyzing and making quick mental notes, before his gaze paused on a pair of familiar indigo eyes, which stared at him with shocked disbelief.

Shadow blinked, surprised.

Standing a few feet away from him was Kuroba Kaito; the Mahou Meitantei of Edoka.

_His Tantei-neko_.

* * *

**Glasses**: End of Part 1.

I've split this into 'parts', because it's too long. XD


	2. Second Part

**Summary**: There's an old mirror in the Kuroba attic, and it has the power to grant Kaito's secret wish...his heart's desire. But hold on; who is Kaitou Shadow?

* * *

**My Dearest Mirror**

* * *

"_The greatest lovers are like twin blooms, _

_each reflecting the passion and the glory of the other."_

– _Jonathan Lockwood Huie –_

* * *

**Part 2**

* * *

_**Minutes Before Kaitou Shadow's Appearance...**_

Kaito stared curiously at Amaranthe, wondering what was going on. She suddenly withdrew from him – _totally_ withdrew from him. It was a little startling, since he had been getting more and more used to the feeling of her inside his mind as the seconds ticked by, so it threw him off to suddenly be cut off from the feeling.

He flinched in surprise when the dirty glass of the mirror lit up with a brilliant light, glowing and humming with power.

"What...?" Kaito muttered in surprise, unconsciously stepping away from the mirror, bewildered.

Amaranthe laughed softly, the bubbling laughter sounding distant and faraway.

_Wish granted, sweet child_. The mirror sighed, content and satisfied as she quietly slipped away. True, the Kuroba line will likely end with the child, since his soul mate was decidedly male, but... _You will be happy now, and this one will love and protect you. He will defend you when you stumble, and catch you when you fall. He is a good child, just like you._

The light flared, and a figure in a dark suit and a matching top hat stumbled out of the mirror, narrowly catching his balance before he could face plant onto the floor.

Squeaking quietly in startled shock, Kaito hastily backed away from the stranger, stunned by his sudden appearance.

The mirror smiled happily, and the light died away.

_Farewell, Kuroba Kaito – may you have a bright, shinning future..._

With that final blessing, Amaranthe's presence vanished entirely, leaving behind an ordinary mirror, dusty and old, and a confused young man in a dark suit.

As she disappeared, there were small, painless snaps in the back of Kaito's mind while he stared at the stranger that had stumbled through the mirror, torn between his startlement (_who the hell is __**that?**_) and his dread (_what's happening to Amaranthe?_).

Yellow string. _Mental connection_. **Snap**.

Pink string. _Heart connection_. **Snap**.

Blue string. _Psychic connection_. **Snap**.

White string. _Soul connection_. **Snap**.

The bond fizzled out completely, like it had never been there in the first place, and that vague place in the back of his mind felt scarily empty, like it had been for his whole life.

Before Kaito could do anything except feel dread over that, his 'guest' suddenly noticed him, and then _**stared**_ at him. Kaito warily looked back, tense. Oh, yes, he already had an idea on who he is and why he was there. Amaranthe _did_ say that she granted his wish, after all, and while he would never actually admit it to anyone, he _knew_ what it was that he craved more than anything.

He wasn't dense.

However, the man was wearing a suit.

A _black_ suit.

That instantly made him wary and on guard. It was instinctive, but admittedly irrational, since black suits didn't automatically mean 'Black Organization Minion', but that didn't stop the automatic warning bells that quietly rang in his head.

The man was around Kaito's own height, perhaps an inch or so taller, nothing staggering or too noticeable. His suit was rather nice looking, with gray pinstripes, giving it a more fancy feel than his Kid uniform. More..._dignified_ and regal, where Kid's suit was more gentlemanly and eye-catching (a lot of white can do that). He had a red shirt under his dark suit jacket – with a matching red hat scarf for his top hat – a black bow tie, and black oxford shoes. Kaito glanced more closely, and noted that he wore white socks. He also had a black cape, which looked suspiciously like a concealed hang glider.

With a start, Kaito realized that the stranger was basically dressed up in a darker version of the Kid uniform. _What...?_

He even had a monocle, sans a clover on his charm. Instead, there was a spade on the dark charm, standing out boldly in white font. His face was obscured by the brim of his hat, the monocle, and his slightly ruffled bangs (_brown hair_, he noted and filed it away. _Natural, not a wig or a hair dye_), but Kaito could tell that he had a handsome face, and piercing blue eyes that stared intently at him with bemused interest. Strangely, that stare made Kaito almost – _**almost**_ – blush, and it stirred a vague memory. Those eyes were _very_ familiar...

"Um...hi?" Kaito finally greeted the stranger with a careful smile, slowly shuffling away from the man, never looking away from the potential threat – _black suit, danger, danger, danger!_

His kaitou instincts weren't happy, obviously. In fact, they were practically having a minor panic attack.

However, the man didn't have the dangerous edge of a Black Organization member. He wasn't dressed exactly like them, either.

_Still..._ His kaitou instincts sullenly pouted in protest. _It can't hurt to be wary, possible love interest or not._

Kaito agreed.

Then he became quietly worried about his sanity, which wasn't a new thing for him, unfortunately.

His unexpected guest smiled pleasantly at him. _Still no ill intent, that's good –_

"Hello, Tantei-neko." The gentleman greeted him, derailing Kaito's thought process with an outraged screech of shock.

_Me? A detective? **WHAAAT?**_

"I think you have me confused with someone else," Kaito made a disgruntled face, extremely put off by the accusation. "I am _not_ a detective! Geez!" He muttered, feeling slightly insulted.

He didn't have anything against detectives, of course, but that didn't mean he was interested in _becoming_ one.

No way in _**hell**_.

"Who _are_ you, anyway?" Kaito asked belatedly, with obvious annoyance in his voice, rather miffed. _And what's up with the 'neko' part of that title?_

The stranger went very, very still.

There was a flash of confusion, followed by hurt, which switched into cool calculation, blue eyes staring closely at him.

"...Kuroba Kaito?"

Kaito twitched slightly, startled. He frowned, eying the stranger with wary confusion. "Uh...yeah?"

"Age seventeen? Born on June twenty-first?"

"...yes?" Kaito was beginning to feel freaked out now. "Who are you?"

The stranger ignored the question, still staring at him.

_Analyzing him._

"Your favorite color is yellow, your favored sweet is chocolate, and you dislike anything bitter or sour?"

The questions were starting to sound like statements, but still inquiring. _Checking facts_.

"Um...ah, yeah?" Kaito stared self-consciously at his slippers.

His _**yellow**_ slippers. Oh damn, was he _that_ obvious?

Then the stranger dropped a bombshell on Kaito, making his heart freeze.

"Currently on tour with your father and mother in France?"

Kaito stiffened, first with confusion (_France? What?_), and then with grief that was mingled with a cocktail of undefinable emotions when he fully registered the question. He stared blankly at the stranger, with a polite smile on his face that veiled the heartbreak that always came up with the mention of his father, because the wound was still healing, still sensitive, still bleeding.

"Ah, it looks like you're finally wrong about something, stranger-san," He said, his indigo eyes closed-off, hiding the pain. "I'm obviously not in France. Kaachan _did_ return from France, though, and she's sleeping right now."

"And your father?"

"...my father is deceased," Kaito replied quietly, with a purposely steady voice. He was partially aware that he was crossing his arms (_defensive; trying to hide, to protect himself_), but he didn't care.

He allowed himself such allowances with his Poker Face. To show that he wasn't unaffected about the subject, and that _no_, he didn't want to talk about it.

The stranger gaped at him, stunned for a moment. He stared at Kaito, searching his face, looking at his body language, and Kaito felt unnerved. It was like the stranger could see past his Poker Face, past his walls and defenses, and disconcertingly _straight_ into Kaito's heart. This made the young thief falter slightly, but he managed to hold onto Poker Face, despite having the sinking suspicion that it was useless against this person. The stranger suddenly seemed to be at a loss for words, seeing _**something**_, before hesitantly stepping forwards, seeking Kaito out, obviously wanting to give him comfort, but unsure about _how_ he should do it.

He frowned at Kaito, blue eyes glinting with...empathy?

"I mourn with thee," He murmured quietly, sincerely. The formal words carried more weight than a simple, 'I'm sorry' did, more..._personal_, somehow.

Kaito blinked at him, tilting his head to the side.

"...thank you." Kaito bowed his head in acknowledgment, smiling faintly. It was all he could think of as a response. What else _could_ he say to that?

His eyes wandered over to the mirror behind the stranger – _who __**still**__ hasn't introduced himself, how rude_ – and frowned.

He couldn't sense anything from the mirror at all.

_Amaranthe..._

* * *

Shadow stared at the strange, almost foreign, Kuroba Kaito.

This wasn't his detective.

He was more wary, more guarded than the Kaito he was used to, still friendly (polite) but distant. He didn't know who Shadow was – _there wasn't any recognition in those eyes _– and he didn't banter with him, or grin openly at him with challenge or excitement. He genuinely didn't know who Shadow was, and he was honest when he said that he wasn't a detective, and that his father _was_ dead; something that hit a little _too_ close to home, for the dark-clad thief.

Shadow knew that he should be concerned over the fact that he was in an unfamiliar environment, suddenly and without any explanation, but at the moment he was more worried about his Tantei-neko.

Either someone seriously messed with the detective's mind (an idea that sent a cold bolt of anger through him), or there was something..._**magical**_ going on here.

His logical mind shuddered at the thought, but he was still open to the possibility.

Koizumi Akako could do that to a person.

_Considering the fact that I just stumbled into an attic without any rhyme or reason, I'm thinking it's 'magical'_, Shadow thought, with a deadpanned expression.

Wonderful.

_Why does this always happen to me?_ Shadow thought, exasperated. _Why can't the strange things happen to someone __**else**__, for once? No one else gets robots, or witches, or doggedly determined detectives, or jewels of immortally, or murderous organizations – it's only __**me**__._

It wasn't fair, it _really_ wasn't.

_At least I've never been shrunken into a chibi_, Shadow consoled himself. _Poor Tantei-neko. At least his 'little problem' is being fixed right now_.

That's why he automatically assumed that this Kaito had been _his_ Kaito, because he should be fully grown by now, in a safe house in France with his parents and his little scientist, safe from the prying, murderous eyes of the Black Organization.

However, it's rather obvious that _this_ Kaito has never been shrunken. He could see it in his eyes; he lacked the look of hard earned wisdom and patience. Instead, there was look of suppressed sadness and loneliness...

Feelings that Shadow knew very well.

Feelings that should never belong to his Tantei-neko – even _this_ one.

"Shadow," The thief murmured, watching as indigo eyes flickered back to him with wary confusion. He smiled carefully at the **non**-detective, "I'm Shadow. Kaitou Shadow. Ring any bells?"

Apparently not, because other-Kaito frowned at him with bemusement.

"Erm, no, sorry," The other-Kaito quirked a smile at him. "The only kaitou I've ever heard of is Kid, and you're _definitely_ not him."

"Ah..." Shadow nodded, slowly, his expression bland. _Kid? Who the hell is Kid?_

_Something is seriously wrong here_, he thought, with a touch of desperation._ I can __**feel**__ it. I need to get out of here, away from Tantei-neko (no, not-a-detective), and call Agasa for some backup. Corner Koizumi, also, and demand some answers – because there is no way that she doesn't have a hand in this somewhere, that meddling witch (literally). I need to figure out what the hell __**happened**__._

And fix it.

With that thought, Shadow smiled charmingly at the other-Kaito, pulling out the Fujimine Charm at full blast; a nice, open smile, a friendly, flirtatious voice and _boom_, his victim is ultimately doomed.

His mother taught him well, plainly ignoring his embarrassed pleas and half-hysterical escape attempts.

"Say, it's rather late, isn't it?" Shadow casually stepped closer to the other boy, who instinctively retreated him, watching him with wary eyes. Shadow merely smiled softly at him, the devious glint in his eyes skillfully hidden. "I think it's time for little kitty cats like _you_ – "

He pulled out his Instant Can Of Sleep, and sprayed it directly into other-Kaito's face, catching him off guard – and if Shadow knew how hard _that_ was to accomplish, he would've felt smugly proud of himself.

" – to go to sleep," Shadow grinned sharply, cautiously covering his own nose and mouth.

To his credit, other-Kaito did his damnedest to not inhale the spray, but it was too late – just a small whiff of the effective spray can knock _anyone_ out, even if only for a few minutes. Considering the fact that other-Kaito had more than 'just a whiff', the guy was going to be out like a light for at _least_ an hour, if not longer.

So, Shadow wasn't surprised when other-Kaito swooned on the spot, falling instantly into a sweet oblivion. He hastily put away his spray can and caught the non-detective as his knees buckled underneath him, catching him before he could fall onto the somewhat dirty wood floor.

"Hm..." Shadow mused, shifting other-Kaito around a bit, before finally managing to gather him up in his arms. "You're a bit lighter than the last time I picked you up, in this form. You need to eat more," Shadow noted, filing away that observation. He would be sure to let the non-detective's keepers know, although, he _was_ surprised. Tantei-neko usually kept better care of himself, rarely missing out on meals or sleep, if only because his father was a majorly attentive mother hen.

_But this isn't your detective_, an unconscious part of him whispered. He conceded to the point, remembering that _this_ Kaito didn't have a father, apparently.

_A world without Kuroba Toichi, huh?_ Shadow frowned at the idea, carefully making his way through the cluttered attic. He wondered what the world would be like without the master magician, the man that his detective looked up to the most. Rather like a flower that looks up to the sun, with happy reverence, swaying in the gentle, cool breeze provided by his mother, who always urged him to do his best, while the sun warmed him, his father forever encouraging him to follow his dreams.

He suddenly cringed. He could easily imagine the sun going out for that particular flower, leaving it bereft, and making the wind cry out for the sun.

Yes, he was familiar with the concept.

Shadow sighed quietly, edging carefully around a record player, holding his burden close to him.

The thief paused, looking around the attic, mostly to make sure that he wasn't getting lost in the sea of stored boxes, and other things, like the record player and...was that a_ piano?_

Shadow stared, befuddled, because at the far end of the attic on his right, up against a wall, was a piano, with a porcelain doll sitting placidly on the covered keys.

"How did they get _that_ up here?" Shadow muttered, shaking his head.

It seems like no matter what the circumstances, the Kuroba family will _always_ be full of surprises.

Still shaking his head, Shadow moved to where he could see the exit, passing by an old love seat. He considered settling other-Kaito there, but he decided against it when he saw a _rat_ scurrying across it.

"Ugh!" Shadow shuddered mildly, quickly moving away. That decided it for him – _very_ firmly.

He wasn't going to leave the non-detective alone in the attic, sleeping and vulnerable, if there were _rats _up here.

Shadow was a lot of things, but he wasn't _heartless_.

Aside from the startled moment he had with the rat, Shadow made it to the exit without any other mishaps. Before going down the stairs, however, he flipped off the lights, very carefully using his elbow, since his arms were full. He jumped when the light blub above his head snapped – _**loudly**_, with a clink and a pop.

He swore that it even _sparked_, before it died with the rest of the lights.

Shadow warily eyed the light blub, as if he were worried that it would jump out and bite him, and he cautiously moved away from it and the light switch.

Nothing happened (of course), so Shadow relaxed, carefully moving down the stairs. He glanced down at other-Kaito's face, and he smiled faintly. It's amazing how such an animated face could look so serene...

The thief hummed in thought, and then he peered around at the dark hallway, before his eyes landed on a half-open door...which was painted a cheery yellow color.

Shadow quirked a smile at the sight of the door, before he quietly walked over to it, his senses hyper aware. He clearly remembered other-Kaito commenting that his mother was here in the house, asleep, and he was paranoid about waking her up. He had a feeling that, no matter what, Kuroba Chikage will _always_ be a formidable adversary; a very keen woman with a sharp wit and a love for scaring people witless – with a _smile_ on her face.

You should never mess with a horror movie actress, retired or otherwise.

Shadow nudged the door with his foot, opening it further to allow him and his unconscious detective (**not**-a-detective) into the bedroom. He glanced around the room, and then he spotted the bed, with its bed covers rumbled and in a disarray, as if Kaito had left his bed in a hurry, and he also noticed the scattered books and papers on the floor, close to the bed, as if someone tripped over them in a rush. He frowned, carefully stepping around the mess, and he wondered what Kaito – he flinched, hastily correcting himself. _Other__-Kaito _– was even doing out of bed in the first place.

In the attic.

At nighttime.

Almost...as if he had been _waiting_ for Shadow to appear – _**almost**_, because he seemed just as surprised as Shadow felt when he stumbled into the attic.

It was odd, and admittedly suspicious.

"Hm..." Shadow frowned, gently settling Kaito (damn it!) down on the bed. He grinned suddenly, seeing that the non-detective still had his house slippers on, and he tugged them off his feet, and placed them on the floor, next to his bed. Then he arranged the bed covers – soft, cool fabrics with varying colors of blue and white – and he neatly tucked the slumbering teenager into bed. Shadow absently moved other-Kaito's hair from his face, quietly observing his peaceful face for a moment.

For someone that wasn't actually his detective, he _really_ looked like him.

Shadow let out a silent sigh, and then he snapped his fingers, making a black rose appear in his hand – one of the specially made roses that his mother created for him and his father. He placed it on the end table, in front of other-Kaito's alarm clock, and then he moved away from the bed, leaving the room. He shut the door behind him, and then he went back to the attic stairs, putting them back up. There was little point in the action, but it was the polite thing to do

That done, he quietly left the house, like the phantom shadow that he was.

He had some calls to make.

* * *

There was a long, quiet pause in the hallway, before a door opened, and a frowning Chikage peeked her head out, looking startlingly _**wide**_ awake.

"...who was _that?"_ She whispered to herself, concerned.

She tied her robe more securely around herself, before scurrying over to her son's bedroom, checking on him.


	3. Third Part

**Summary**: There's an old mirror in the Kuroba attic, and it has the power to grant Kaito's secret wish...his heart's desire. But hold on; who is Kaitou Shadow?

* * *

**My Dearest Mirror**

* * *

"_Life is like a mirror, _

_we get the best results when we smile at it."_

– _Unknown –_

* * *

**Part 3**

* * *

"Kaito...Kaito? Wake up, honey..." Chikage gently shook her son, frowning.

_Hm. Yep._ She nodded to herself. _I can't deny it anymore. Someone drugged my baby. _

Chikage sighed, sitting down next to her slumbering son. She picked up the black rose on his end table, idly twirling it in her hand. Chikage would be more alarmed, but he wasn't _deeply_ drugged – if he was, she would be more panicked and calling the hospital.

_Oh, what to do, what to do..._

Obviously, the intruder hadn't been a danger to her son. If he had been, he would've done worse than just knocking him out. The man even tucked Kaito into bed and put away the attic stairs.

That didn't strike her as a particularly violent psychopath.

Perhaps a _polite_ psychopath...?

"Ugh. Kai-chan!" Chikage bemoaned. "Why must you be so damn adorable? You keep getting all _sorts_ of stalkers! First your pet detectives, and now this guy – and no, I'm not even going to get _started_ on that pesky, trigger happy, reptile, either," She said, with a long-suffering sigh, as if Snake was nothing more than a troublesome hooligan from down the street. She knew that he was dangerous – the grim flicker in her eyes as she thought of Snake was proof of that. However, she _purposely_ spoke lightly of him.

The best way to insult a person like Snake was by acting like they _**weren't**_ worthy of being taken seriously.

Chikage sighed, the grimness vanishing, instantly replaced by an annoyed scowl. "Honestly. You take after _me_ too much! Quit it!" Chikage demanded, gently swatting the smooth petals of the black rose against her son's nose.

A little known fact: The Phantom Lady had a lot of 'admirers' when she still prowled around, ranging from the people that she stole from, to various law enforcement officers, and other thieves (she even crossed paths with Lupin III, off and on – and she might've, _possibly_, dated him for some of those 'off and on' moments, but she wasn't admitting to anything).

Oh, those years of being a kaitou had been _very_ interesting.

Chikage smiled fondly, her indigo eyes growing distant as she got absorbed in her memories.

She thought that it would never stop, that she would continue to 'rescue' the art of the world, until she either died or was forced to retire.

Back then, she mostly dealt with artwork, uncovering fraud copies, and revealing illegal trading rings for sacred artifacts (things that belonged in temples or museums, not in the bathroom of some drug lord, or worse). She _did_ deal with false merchandise, though, like supposedly 'genuine' musical instruments from some famous craftsman, and other similar cases. However, whenever there was lull in activity, she also retrieved stolen items (_stealing from thieves_), and returned them to their proper owners. The entire time, she got her chuckles by scaring the shit out of people, and she generally made the world a better place while she was at it – one artistic piece at a time.

The Phantom Lady played the role a wrathful ghost, wrapped up in bandages as a homage to 'wounded artists' everywhere, a woman with many facets and sides to her personality – _"The Woman With Twenty Faces"_ – refusing to be predictable and easily labeled as a typical criminal. The only thing that would ever be 'predictable' about her was the fact that she _never_ hurt anyone. She gleefully caused (minor) psychological trauma for the sake of entertainment, but she never actually hurt anyone.

Of course, she eventually grew tired of it all, and shook off the disgusting little claws of her 'employers'. Ha, they had been more like her silly puppets, who thought that _they_ were the puppet masters, mistakingly thinking that they were controlling _her_, until she stabbed them in the backs and ran away. She cut and lightened her hair, significantly changing her appearance in a simple way, and she even switched back to her birth name, Shiroki Chikage, discarding the fake name that she gave to her 'puppets'.

Chikage had managed to enjoy a nice, relaxing, two years in England, before she heard about a Phantom Lady heist that was going to be staged in Paris.

Honestly, she had been just as surprised as her old task force to hear about the news.

She intended to pop in, have a 'polite conversation' with her impostor (she refused to call it an impending cat fight), and then go back to her flexible lifestyle as a bartender in a cute little pub in England.

Then Kuroba Toichi swooped in, caught her off guard, and saved her life – and, after shaking up her world, he had the _gall_ to ask if she wanted to "take up residence in his jewelry box". She had to give him points on coming up with the single, most _corniest_, line she ever heard in her life, however, so she lightly flirted back with him, with that strange magician who was planning on becoming a thief. It hadn't been anything serious on her part, merely humoring the man before parting ways.

She made a strong impression on him, however, and he managed to hunt her down after weeks of methodical searching (which was scary, when she stopped to think about it – that he could find her within _weeks_, while her 'puppets' never even managed to sniff out her trail). He booked a flight to England, took a cab over to her town, and then he causally sauntered into her pub and asked for a pint. He had been full of charming smiles and charisma, even when she sputtered at him in shock.

"_What are you doing here?" Chikage hissed at him discretely, smiling warmly as she gave him his requested drink – an actress through and through._

_Kuroba grinned brightly at her, his cobalt eyes glimmering with suppressed laughter as her indigo ones stared warily at him._

"_You **did** agree to being in my jewelry box, my fair Lady," He winked at her, smoothly using a part of her kaitou name. "I'm not letting you go for the world!"_

_Chikage visibly twitched, feeling mildly irritated._

_...and strangely flattered._

She (ironically) went through twenty different identities and bounced off to different points of the globe, trying to shake him off, but Toichi had been persistent. He determinedly followed after her, often dropping in unexpectedly and taking her out for impromptu dates. He pursued her, courted her – wined and dined her – gave her thoughtful little gifts, and made her laugh to the point of breathlessness. It was bizarre, it was weird, and it was _fun_.

He had excited her in ways that no one else could, and made every day feel like an adventure, even when they were laying on the floor and just staring at the ceiling, looking for patterns and shapes while they argued over the pros and cons of ramen noodles, and comparing the 'black' and 'white' parts in their surnames with amusement.

Gradually, her running away became a game, something enjoyable instead of something necessary, and she drifted closer and closer to him, a lonely butterfly that was forever attracted to warmth of his flames – a comforting heat that ensnared her, but never burned her.

Oh, she loved him so much – no, that isn't correct.

She _**loves**_ him so much, even after all these years, when the only things she can cling to is their son (_her baby boy_) and all of the precious memories that they created together.

"Nnngh..."

Chikage blinked, staring blankly at her son with surprise, who was stirring into wakefulness. Her gaze flickered to his clock, and then her eyebrows flew upwards in shock.

Somehow, an entire hour went by without her noticing.

_Ah...got lost in thought again_, Chikage ruefully noted, with a touch of sheepishness.

Toichi tended to do that to her.

As her son slowly woke up, Chikage amused herself with lightly trailing the rose along his face, making him grimace and cringe in hilarious ways.

Finally, he smacked her hand – and the rose – away from his face, grumpily opening his eyes to glare at her.

"Stop it~!" Kaito whined at her, pouting in annoyance.

"No!" Chikage cheerfully denied him, tickling his nose with the rose, making his sneeze.

"Kaachan~!"

"Kaito~!" She mocked him, before suddenly leaning over him and leering at him. "What have I told you about sneaking strange men into the house without my permission, young man?" Chikage sternly demanded, half-joking. She quirked an eyebrow at him, "Who _was_ that man in the black cape, anyway?"

For a moment, her darling child merely looked confused – a side effect from whatever knocked him out? – before his eyes widened with remembrance.

"...oh." Kaito blinked, before scowling darkly. "That asshole drugged me!" He yelped, indignantly.

"No cussing." Without missing a beat, she swatted him on the forehead with the rose.

Twice.

Really, it was quite amazing that the poor flower was withstanding so much abuse – Kaito _**did**_ have a hard head, after all.

"Owww! Kaachan!"

Chikage tsked.

"I need to have another talk with Ginzo again, I see..." She shook her head, dismissing and filing away the thought for later. She loved the man like a brother, but sometimes he got carried away with that Nakamori mouth of his. "Now, we need to have a _**long**_ talk. Starting with _why_ you needed to go up into the attic so late at night, and _why_ there was a stranger in the house, and _why_ you didn't come get me? Hm?"

Kaito flushed, edging away from her.

"... … …"

"Well? I'm _waiting~!"_ Chikage softly sing-songed, with a gleam in her cat-like eyes.

Kaito was so screwed, and possibly grounded for life, and he knew that, judging from the mildly scared and resigned look on his face.

She didn't raise a stupid child, after all.

Just a _reckless_ one, apparently, which wasn't really all that shocking, considering who Kaito's parents were.

* * *

_**On The Other Hand...**_

Shadow hurried down the dark street, several blocks away from the Kuroba household, and then he ducked into an alley.

Moments later, a young man calmly left the alley, dressed in a dark gray shirt, an unzipped black jacket, causal jeans and sneakers. He smirked briefly, his blue eyes darting around the sleepy street, before pulling out his cell phone as he resumed his walk, looking perfectly normal.

He was just Kudo Shinichi, not a kaitou.

Shinichi almost snickered, but he contained himself, looking around. He was still rather bemused. How the hell did he end up in _Edoka?_

He had been in Beika. **Beika**. Yes, he was aware that the two places weren't that far away from each other, but it still required a car trip, or a hop on the train – it wasn't like he could just stumble one day, and suddenly end up in Edoka.

It didn't work like that.

_My mind is terribly confused_, Shinichi decided, frowning. He didn't know what was going on, and he was honestly starting to get nervous.

Everything felt...off, somehow. Or, rather, _he_ felt off.

It was a strange, vague feeling, and it unnerved him. His sixth sense felt twitchy, _knowing_ that something was up, but not knowing _what_ it was, exactly.

Yet.

He was collecting little clues and puzzle pieces already, and he was sure to figure it out shortly, even though a large portion of his mind was silently trying to ignore _where_ those clues were leading.

_First, call Agasa-hakase..._

Shinichi hit his speed dial, number two, and pressed his phone to his ear, slowly walking over to a bench next to a bus stop.

**Beep**. _"I'm sorry, but the number you have called does not exist. Please check – "_

Shinichi's jaw dropped, pulling away his phone to stare at it in befuddlement.

"What?"

Frowning, he hit speed dial number three, his mother.

**Beep**. _"I'm sorry, but the number you have called does not exist. Please – "_

"What the hell?" Shinichi muttered, feeling a sense of panic, and he hit speed dial number one, Ran.

**Beep**. _"I'm sorry, but the number you have called does not – "_

Numbly, Shinichi ended the call, staring blankly at the billboard that was drilled into the side of a building across from him.

What was going on? Was there something wrong with his cellphone? No, no. He called his mother a few minutes before the heist, and it was working just fine then.

Shinichi stared blankly at the billboard, his brain quickly skipping and jumping to different theories and explanations, and disregarding each one just as quickly, when he suddenly realized that there was something wrong with the billboard in front of him.

It was advertising a new fast food restaurant in Edoka. This wasn't unusual.

What _was_ unusual was that the area code for the phone number wasn't **Edoka's** area code – it was Beika's area code.

...what?

Confused, Shinichi looked around, his eyes easily picking out the other phone numbers on the various advertisements in the area, and they each had that same error.

"Or _is_ it an error?" Shinichi mumbled.

He directed his attention back to his cell phone, and he dialed Ran's number, with what was _supposed_ to be Edoka's area code.

**Ring**. **Ring**. **Ring**.

_Okay, this is promising_... Shinichi thought, with a bemused expression.

Then, someone on the other end picked up.

"Moshi, moshi. Who is this?" Ran's voice drifted through, curious, and Shinichi was so unbelievably _relieved_.

He heaved a great sigh. "Oh, thank god. Hi, Ran."

* * *

Ran gasped, and Conan curiously looked up at her, lazily lounging on the couch with a manga book. Argh, he hated rotting his brain like this...

"Shinichi!" Ran cried out, sounding pleasantly surprised, and Conan almost fell off the couch in shock. "Oh, it's so good to hear from you again! How's your case going?"

Conan stared closely at her, straining his ears in an attempt to hear the other side of the conversation, and he was frustrated when he couldn't hear anything at all, aside from a vague mumble.

Ran looked confused. "Yes, your case. You know, your big secret case that you're on? That you've left to investigate? _That_ case?"

There was a pause.

Ran rolled her eyes, sighing. "Oh, you're so hopeless when you first wake up. Where are you?" She asked, curiously. "Oh? America?" She glanced at the clock. "Hm, yes, it would be morning over there right now...oh, it's noon?" She laughed. "Geez, you wake up late and you're _still_ like this? Stupid detective otaku!"

Conan was getting increasingly worried. Not only did he already call her a few days ago, but there was _no way_ that was Shinichi.

He would know.

So, he jumped up from the couch and ran over to her, abandoning the manga, and he tugged insistently at the hem of her shirt. "Ne, ne, Ran-neechan! Is that Shinichi-niichan? Can I talk to him, too?"

Ran paused, and then she blinked at him.

She _stared_ at him for a moment, and then she stared out into space for a few seconds, a look of suspicion and confusion on her face. Like she was baffled by something.

Conan blinked at her, thrown off at this reaction.

Before he could inquire though, she smiled nicely, and then she spoke into the phone to 'Shinichi'.

"Oh, Conan-kun wants to talk to you, Shinichi. Hold on..." Ran kindly gave Conan her phone, and, after giving her a questioning look, he pressed it to his ear.

"Hi, Shinichi-niichan!" Conan greeted childishly. _Who are you, you bastard, and why are you calling Ran?_

A small, confused pause. "Erm...hi, Conan-kun?" It sounded like a question, and it _was_ his voice. There was no mistaking it. "How are you?" The impostor asked, in a polite tone.

"I'm fine, niichan! What about you?" He asked inanely, since Ran _standing right __**there**_.

"I'm confused," The impostor replied dryly, in an honest enough voice. "But that's not exactly new, considering my life."

There was a sigh, and it sounded like 'Shinichi' was shifting around. Conan narrowed his eyes, hearing a car pass by in the background. It sounded like the impostor was near a street, somewhere.

"Hm. I think I have some investigating to do," The impostor said, with an ironic twist to his voice. "I'm going to have to go, then."

"Ah le le! But you just called!" Conan said in childish surprise and disappointment. "You're hanging up already?"

'Shinichi' laughed. "Yeah, I think I am. Tell Ran that I'll be visiting soon enough, okay? Maybe a week or so from now. I'll be sure to call back before then. Bye, Conan-kun, it was nice talking to you."

**Click**.

Conan quickly checked the number, and frowned. It _definitely_ wasn't his number. Similar, but incorrect.

"You noticed it, too, Conan-kun?" Ran asked, kneeling down next to him. He glanced at her, and she gazed back at him. "That's not Shinichi's number."

* * *

"Well, _that_ was weird," Shinichi decided, frowning.

A case? What? And who the heck was 'Conan'? He didn't know a Conan. _Why is a little kid staying with Ran, anyway? Baby sitting? But she doesn't __**normally**__ baby sit for people._

What was going on?

_Ugh, it's a good thing that I'm so used to lying to Ran and coming up with on-the-spot lies..._

Shinichi sighed.

He needed a computer...

* * *

**Glasses**: Sorry for the wait; took a while for me to sit down and properly edit this part.

I hope that it was worth the wait, though! XD


End file.
